Turkey Bolognese with Shell Pasta

This lightened-up bolognese swaps beef for ultra-lean ground turkey and packs in aromatic veggies, offering a high-protein, lower-fat twist on a comforting classic.

Ingredients

Calories next to each ingredient are for that ingredient across the whole recipe (4 servings), not per serving.

• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine (optional) · 303 kcal in the whole recipe
• 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms (optional) · 42 kcal in the whole recipe
• 1 cup chopped onion · 55 kcal in the whole recipe
• 1/2 cup chopped celery · 7 kcal in the whole recipe
• 1 cup thinly sliced or shredded carrots · 45 kcal in the whole recipe
• 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic · 12 kcal in the whole recipe
• 1 tbsp olive oil · 123 kcal in the whole recipe
• 12 oz 99% lean ground turkey · 702 kcal in the whole recipe
• 1 tsp anise seed · 7 kcal in the whole recipe
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 oz medium shell pasta · 326 kcal in the whole recipe
• 4 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste · 65 kcal in the whole recipe
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese · 165 kcal in the whole recipe

Method

1. If using optional ingredients, bring the red wine to a boil in a medium saucepan, stir in the dried mushrooms, cover, and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.

   

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. At the same time, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey, anise seed, and salt, browning and crumbling the meat for 5 to 10 minutes.

   

3. Cook the shell pasta in the boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes until al dente, then drain.

   

4. Add the chopped vegetables to the browning turkey, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Stir in the tomato paste and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. If using the optional wine and mushrooms, strain the wine directly into the turkey mixture, chop the mushrooms finely, add them to the pan, and simmer for an extra 10 to 15 minutes.

   

5. Toss the drained pasta with the turkey bolognese sauce until well combined. Divide into plates and top each serving with shredded parmesan cheese.

   

Adapted from an NIH / NHLBI heart-healthy recipe (public domain). Portions, macros, diet checks and step photos by Besly.